Giving You Things Surrounding A Typical Winter With “The Playlist”

So far this winter season has been surprisingly mild, as temperatures have been more toward the 50s during the day than the 30s. Many may not complain about this, especially after the past few winters having been brutal with record amounts of snow. The only snow so far has been an unexpected dusting we had recently, which would be fine by me but maybe not for you. Time to highlight those things that are about the typical January Winter with this week's version of The Playlist.

Last year in New Jersey, we were averaging about 27 degrees for a high. The Weather Channel scan for the rest of January is predicting temperatures to stay in the 40s during the day and with no major threats of snow being forecasted so far. Can you remember a January like that? Mild with very little ice? No doubt we could use a snow-less winter, so let the only frozen precipitation come from The Playlist.

Let's not forget other parts of January like the New Year's celebration, Martin Luther King Day, Chinese New Year, and hockey (The Winter Classic was in Philly remember). With all this mind, this edition will not feature music from Ice Cube but he deserves some recognition - he will be back on the big screen in March with 21 Jump Street, later this summer with the 4th installment of the "Friday" movies (Last Friday), and then wrap up 2012 with his take on Welcome Back Kotter.

Here are your coldest moments from this January winter so far with The Playlist:

Dan Fogelberg - Same Old Lang Syne (ringing in the new year, and a classic of the season since 1980)

Loreena McKennit - The Mummer's Dance (New Year's Day in Philly with the Mummer's Parade, and a top-20 hit for this Canadian in '97)

The Clash - London Calling ("The Ice Age is calling", and it was last year remember?)

The Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter (which is our weather now)

Annie Lennox - Winter Wonderland (think back to the blizzards and let's not have that again!)

Snow- Informer (from his 12 Inches of Snow CD that prduced the "How Soon you forget" his #1 smash for 7 weeks in 1992)

Sarah McLachlan- Ice Cream (Ben and Jerry's please - any flavor!)

U2 - Pride (mentioning the night Martin Luther King was struck down, and MLK Day is Jan. 16th)

Queen - One Vision (King had that, and Freddie Mercury used his famous quote "I Have A Dream" in this 1985 release)

Five For Fighting - It's Not Easy (Winter is never easy, and the band's name is a hockey penalty, and I know this is a stretch)

Steely Dan - Time Out Of Mind ("Tonight when I chase The Dragon" - Top-20 hit in '81 - Chinese New Year is Jan. 23rd and this is the Year of The Dragon)

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby ("Alright Stop! Collaborate and listen. Ice is back ....." and you know you are singing the lyrics right now!)

May these 20 songs be the coldest part of your January this year! Feel free to share any ideas you may have for a theme for a future version of The Playlist, or add to this one with any ideas you may have.